davolandel: The French Defense Devotee Who Made Rapid Look Easy
Who Is davolandel?
davolandel is one of the most prolific online chess grinders around, with more than 7,600 rated games played since March 2020. Although the preferred time control is Rapid, the real volume comes from Blitz, where davolandel has played over 5,500 games and climbed from a modest 1188 rating to a blistering peak of 2413 (2026-01-09) 2413 in January 2026.
Rapid, however, is where davolandel turns into a different beast. The numbers are almost absurd: 43 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws, good for a strength adjusted win rate near 94 percent. If you meet davolandel in a Rapid tournament, you are probably playing for second place.
Career Trajectory
The Blitz rating journey reads like a redemption arc with extra steps. davolandel opened 2020 below 1200, then shot past 2200 within two months. The rating bounced around the 2100 to 2350 band for years, with a brief 2023 slump, before a monster run in late 2025 and early 2026 pushed the peak above 2400.
- Peak Blitz rating: 2413 (2026-01-09) reached in January 2026.
- Peak Rapid rating: 2246 (2025-07-17) reached in July 2025.
- Longest winning streak: 21 consecutive wins.
- Longest losing streak: 10, because even machines need maintenance.
Playing Style and Signature Openings
As White, davolandel is a creature of habit. The first move is almost always e4. That setup feeds directly into a deep love for the French Defense, especially the Exchange Variation, which appears in over 500 Blitz games alone. The Blackburne Shilling Gambit is another favorite, and in faster time controls it scores surprisingly well.
The fighting spirit is the real trademark. The comeback rate sits at 83.46 percent, and davolandel still wins more than half of games after losing a piece. One sided losses are extremely rare, so opponents usually have to work hard for the full point.
Rivalries
No opponent has seen more of davolandel than sandau123, who faced the French Defense machine 54 times and won only 5. The head to head record of 47 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws is about as one sided as a rivalry gets. Other frequent foes like kalmandufne and ortznoi57 have had more luck, but neither has escaped with a winning overall record against this relentless competitor.
Fun Facts
- Rapid dominance: only one Rapid loss on record, which happened in May 2024. A date for the history books.
- Night owl: the best winning hour is 2 AM, with a perfect score in those games.
- Saturday specialist: Saturday win rate is 61.46 percent, the best day of the week.
- Daily chess is basically a farm league: 304 wins, 39 losses, and 17 draws in Daily games.